School of Law Proposition 2012

The University of Sheffield School of Law is a first class gateway to success. Access to world-class academics and a vibrant, down to earth student community integrated into a great city provide the blue print to an outstanding student experience. You will leave us equipped for lives and careers that will enable you to make your mark on the world.

‘Students from Sheffield are amongst the best in the country; we are always pleased when a Sheffield graduate decides to build their career with DLA.’
(Robert Halton, Director of Human Resources, DLA Piper - leading law firm)

Choosing to study at the University of Sheffield School of Law is a means of achieving your ambitions and an investment in your future. The School is large, diverse and dynamic. It excels in giving students the opportunities to learn, research and work with a range of academics and professionals.

The School is committed to providing a variety of topics and creating engaging routes through your course, in the university community, in the fascinating and vibrant city of Sheffield and, for many students, by studying abroad. Studying at the School of Law opens the doors to inspirational knowledge, informed by research and practice as well as the skills you need for your future. You will be supported to achieve the very best - personally, academically and professionally -  so you can be part of delivering our vision to make a difference to the world we live and work in through an engagement with law, justice, crime and punishment.

For more detailed information on the courses, life at the School of Law and the opportunities for students, please visit our website.

Your future

• The School of Law is committed to your future. We strive for excellence in delivery and support so you have every opportunity to achieve your full potential. Your ambitions inform our diverse, engaging and tailor-made courses to a range of possible careers in legal practice and elsewhere.
• Studying with us equips you with the skills necessary to analyse, criticise, challenge, reflect and solve problems in the real world through research and enterprise.
• The culture of civic engagement, team work, debate, application of information technology, communication and problem solving, self-management and mutual respect are all under-pinned by a positive ‘can-do’ approach at the School of Law – a highly sought-after attitude by employers in the private and public sector.
• Academics in the School of Law are committed to excellence in research-led teaching and professionalism. This enables students to benefit from an enviable source of external links to projects, employers and regular guest speakers.
  • We are one of only a few Russell Group law schools to run the Legal Practice Course, the next stage to becoming a solicitor. This added resource gives you access to experienced, professional staff who, with our Careers Service, can give you the edge when applying for training contracts and careers.

Your course

• Our research and practice fuel a dynamic and innovative learning environment where our investigations, discoveries and experience become yours. Essential critical and analytical skills are gained as the course develops.
• Academic content is multi-disciplinary, with a strong international focus, and plenty of options are available alongside the core subjects. This allows students to develop the specialisms and interests that enrich their learning and improve employability.
• For all our Qualifying Law Degrees, there is the opportunity to study a year abroad. In Sheffield, having students from Europe and further afield enriches opportunities for all to study law and criminal justice from a global perspective.
• The School offers a wide diversity of learning environments including group project work, inquiry based learning, e-learning and completing your own research and personal feedback - all essential skills for the world of work.
• Opportunities for learning experiences beyond formal teaching include 'FreeLaw' voluntary work, seminars given by professionals from law, criminal justice and academia, community involvement, mooting, work on miscarriages of justice, the Sheffield Volunteer scheme and other projects to help you build a valuable CV.
• At the School of Law, an undergraduate degree is just the beginning, which is why we offer ongoing learning to graduates on our LPC, GDL, Masters and PhD pathways, to help you find fulfilling, enviable employment.

Your community

• Bartolomé House, the home of the University of Sheffield School of Law, is a beautiful Victorian building opposite Weston Park. It is embedded in the university campus, close to the technologically advanced, 24/7 Information Commons, the award winning Students’ Union and to the super-tram stop.
• Having our own building gives us a strong sense of community, belonging and identity as many events and activities are based at Bartolomé. As well as a café, places to relax and socialise, and plenty of work space with wireless internet, students also have access to a moot court room and to supportive, understanding staff.
• The School is a community of students and staff that thrives on mutual respect, encouragement and commitment to excellence in research, teaching and student welfare.
• As a member of the School of Law you will be very much part of two further communities beyond the School; the University with its societies, union, sports and shops, as well as the City of Sheffield. Sheffield is the greenest city in Europe nestling on the edge of the Peaks, with a lively cultural industries quarter, diverse music and club scene and a justified reputation for safe, affordable living. Sheffield students are the most likely in the country to find work, and forge a life, in the city where they studied.
• School of Law students get involved. Many volunteer in the city and the Lodge at the gates of Bartolomé offers drop-in FreeLaw advice to local people. Students looking to bolster their academic experience with lively cultural and voluntary activities can help reach out to local schools and get involved in mooting events and mock trials, social events and the Edward Bramley student law society.

Your support

• There is always someone to help you at the School of Law – we have academic and support staff who understand and are well equipped to deal with the kinds of worries and experiences students have.
• You will have an academic who will act as a Personal Tutor to support you throughout your course, especially if you have any personal problems that affect your study.
• In the School of Law all academic staff offer office time each week, for ‘drop in’ advice when you need support, whether academic or personal.
• Communication is very important to us and the Law School uses information technology to keep in touch with you, and provide you with all the information you need to support your course. As electronic information retrieval and production are vital skills for the contemporary work environment, all students are given the opportunity to expand and perfect their skills.
• Our community provides our students with the ability to support each other; work with staff in group work, become ambassadors and outreach volunteers and, more than anything, to make friends who will stay close and supportive for life.

Your personal development

• Studying at the School of Law is demanding but also empowering as students gain confidence, values and a breadth of knowledge, skills and experience which makes them desirable employees for a wide range of professions.
• Your personal development is very important to us and we use the latest software to support you in developing an electronic portfolio record, a kind of e-CV, of your skills, experiences and achievements, so that you can always create an up-to-date CV.
• Extra-curricular activities broaden your abilities and character. The School of Law and wider University provide opportunities for experiences beyond formal teaching to help you build a valuable CV.
• The international context informs law and criminology research and teaching. We attract many international students and a number of our students find work in other countries after graduating. The opportunity to mix with people from all over the world means students are more culturally agile, respectful of others and globally aware.
• The School of Law is both an academic environment and a professional one. You will have access to both leading scholars and highly experienced legal practitioners, all of whom will prioritise your development, encourage your ambitions and help you fulfil your potential during your time with us and afterwards. We pride ourselves in supporting and developing our students - the continued dialogue we have with individuals long after they graduate is testament to that commitment.